Inland waterways

Revision of NAIADES

The European Commission has taken a step towards a substantial revision of NAIADES, the action programme in support of inland waterway transport, running until 2013. The revision of NAIADES will focus on concrete actions which will help realising the potential of inland waterway transport and boost its contribution to sustainable and efficient transport.

Inland waterway transport is a safe mode of transport with low costs, a lot of spare capacity, no congestion, low noise levels and low energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The revision of the NAIADES action programme is expected to lead to the adoption of the NAIADES II Communication foreseen in 2013. In its Staff Working Paper, the Commission Services presented concrete actions under preparation:

1. Infrastructure - planned actions for inland navigation under the existing programmes and under the forthcoming instruments of the next multi-annual financial framework for the period 2014-2020 (financial and technical assistance);

NAIADES is an integrated European action programme for inland waterway transport.

On 17 January 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the promotion of inland waterway transport. The NAIADES Action Programme was intended for the period 2006-2013 and focused on five strategic areas for a comprehensive Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) policy: market, fllet, jobs and skills, image and infrastructure. These measures are rounded off by reflections on an appropriate organisational structure.

Issues being addressed under NAIADES include working time arrangements, professional qualification requirements, the examination of administrative and regulatory barriers, the adoption of innovative technologies, such as the River Information Services (RIS), and infrastructure improvements.

New arrangement to enhance inland navigation in the European Union

The Director-General for mobility and transport of the European Commission (DG MOVE) and the Secretary General of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) have signed on 22 May, in Brussels, an administrative arrangement which fosters the cooperation between the two institutions. Their common objectives are to ensure the optimal functioning of the market for inland navigation and to remove obstacles that prevent a broader use of this mode of transport.